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I let go, squeezing her arm before starting to walk off. “You and Miles be good, okay?”

“Can’t promise that!”

Laughing, I head toward my car. I still need to pack and stop by the office tomorrow morning before my flight.

And then it’s two uninterrupted weeks alone in nature.

Well . . . almost alone.

Pine Falls, September 22, 2017

Hey, C.

You have an O folder? What does that look like? I’m both intrigued and scared to know.

You’re not too far off when you say I’m fighting my mail out of Emile’s hands. Just this morning, I had to chase him in nothing but my underwear and my bathrobe flying in the wind because I didn’t hear my “jerk mailman o’clock” alarm ringing on my phone. I swear, if he wasn’t so old, I would shake some sense into him. I hope this won’t offend you too much since you seem to have developed some inexplicable affection for the old grump. Plus, my grandparents have offered countless times to have him over at the restaurant for free, but he refuses because he’s “not foolish enough to get diarrhea for days on purpose.” Truly the highlight of my day, I tell ya.

I’m not psychic, no, but somehow, I feel like you and I share certain similarities, wouldn’t you say? You strike me as the kind of person who could lose herself for hours in nature just contemplating what’s going on around her, and I’m a bit like that too. And I get the feeling you’ve got a big, empathetic heart too. I don’t know. There’s something in your words, the way you write, the way you express yourself, that comes across that way. I like it a lot. It’s too rare among humans these days. It’s like I understand how your mind works because I think in the same way. And that’s weird to say to someone I barely know. But the universe works in mysterious ways, or so the saying goes, and in our case, I believe it might just be true.

I love the drawing you sent me. You’re very talented. Wow. The details in the lines and how much you focused on the eyes, the shell. I feel like I was right there with you as you sketched it. Why not consider a career as an illustrator? You could do funny children’s books about weird animals talking to each other about their feelings of rejection. Pretty powerful stuff for kids.

Yeah, British Columbia is beautiful. That’s what I love about Pine Falls. That’s my town. (Do you know it? Probably not. It’s not even a dot on the map.) It’s small and lost in the middle of nowhere. If I need time to myself, I can go anywhere I want, and I’ll find peace and quiet right away. No one to have to talk to or entertain. Pure silence.

Oh, and I’m a big burger guy myself. I was raised with food that felt like home and came straight from my grandparents’ hands. Nothing was processed, the produce was always fresh, and they spent hours in the kitchen—either the one in their restaurant or the one in our small apartment above it—making it.

Your article was great, by the way! I like how you structured it and can tell you have a strong voice.

Already checking my mailbox, hoping to see your next letter,

O. (Any guesses on my name?)

Attached article

Where to hike in BC? Just a few of our favorite spots

Chapter Six

THE SWEET SOUND OF YOU

Oliver

Ican’t stop my leg from jiggling as I drive my electric pickup truck down Main Street. I will be meeting the Wild Planet correspondent from Toronto and the Movie Night Live crew later today at our offices in Vancouver, since Donna insisted on being present for the introductory meeting. It’ll also be easier if I escort them back to Pine Falls since they don’t know the area, then leave them at their hotel for the night.

But first, I park right in front of what used to be Jerry’s and spot Rob rounding the corner. Right on time for his daily grocery run.

“Rob, hi!” I sprint in his direction before he gets the chance to dodge me. Again.

He turns his head my way, and I can feel his annoyance seeping through his imposing posture. Well, that makes two of us.

“Oliver, hi,” Rob drawls as he stops. “To what do I owe this”—he checks his watch—“very early morning pleasure?”

I slide my hands into my pockets. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I’m leaving for Vancouver in a bit and thought I’d catch you before.”

“Of course you did.” He smiles, although his face is saying everything but “I’m happy to see you.”

I ignore his tone. He’s the mayor of this town, after all, and whether he likes it or not, he has to deal with his constituents. That’s part of the job. “Listen, my situation changed recently. I’m up for a big bonus at work. Enough for a sizable down payment on my building.”

“The town’s building.”